Learned distrust traps ghetto children even when mobility opportunities appear

Evidence

The terrible vision of a permanent underclass in American city ghettos may have its grounding in the lesson that the children of the ghetto are taught all too successfully: that they cannot trust others, especially not outsiders or strangers but often also not even closer associates. Providing opportunities of educational and economic mobility does not equalize prospects for the ingrained distruster, who cannot be optimistic enough to take advantage of opportunities that entail risks of betrayal. — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 542

Categorization

• XREF: The ‘ingrained distruster’ is a direct real-world analogue to Saramago’s blindness survivors whose monitoring collapse makes trust impossible — both show structures where distrust becomes rational and self-reinforcing. — connects to: Youth distrust reflects experience of an untrustworthy world, not personal flaw — Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone The Collapse and Revival…, 465; Children’s protective actions in degraded neighborhoods can reveal overlooked community knowledge. — Rebecca A. Martusewicz, Jeff Edmundson, and John Lupinacci, EcoJustice Education: Toward Diverse,…, 1865